Happy New Year to All!

This week was slow because of Christmas but we had a baptism so that makes up for the slow week. This coming week we are going to kill it!!!! Transfers were today and you won't believe it elder Munar my best bud comes to my zone haha. That's going to be awesome I'm excited!!!! My comp is cool we are still getting to know each other.  Something really cool happened this week, you guys know that I'm kind of good at giving talks right? This Sunday I gave a talk but was not able to prepare it really well it's kind of hard on the mission you just learn how to wing it. I gave the talk and so did my companion and everyone loved my companion's talk and no one would say anything about mine. I got kind of sad but after I started thinking about how stuck up I am and realized in that moment that I have a huge problem. I like to be the best at everything and it was like reality hit and I thought I can't be the best at everything that's a part of life. Now I'm focusing a lot on not trying to out do other missionaries or be better but to just do my thing not comparing myself with others. That was my humbling experience. I'm going to try working on being better. The mission is so awesome because you learn things about your self that before the mission one does not learn how to recognize. 

Today we went bowling and played ping pong. It was a lot of fun. We went with some members and investigators but yeah not much to tell this week because we talked just a couple of days back but next week hopefully we have cool stuff to talk about. I love you guys and don't forget to read your scriptures and be juiciosos en todas las cosas oyó mis socios ;) (be good in all things you hear).

 

Love,

Elder Gomez

Magic, contacting and other cool experiences

Well this week was alright nothing really exciting happened ha-ha. I have my new companion who is cool just that he's really young, he's 18. It feels like I'm training again. He's also new in the mission so yeah not going to lie I miss my old companion elder Joglar because I learned a lot from him. He had a lot of practice being a missionary and it was more chill for me because he would lead the area since I did not know anything. Now it's the other way around and I have to lead the area and I wanted to be chill but it is all good this is what the Lord wants for me.

My new companion elder Garcia and an invesrigator

Cool things that have happened: I'm learning magic and I have gotten way good. I have a whole bunch of fans its funny because everywhere I walk the people point at me and say, "mira el mago haga magia haha" (look it's the magician please do some magic). It's awesome it makes me feel important. Sometimes I will be walking and someone will come up and say hey everyone has been talking about you will you do magic? I have contacted a bunch of people through that its cool. I am learning from an investigator that we have. He will get baptized this Saturday. He's way good doing magic tricks and I'm getting way good as well. Who knew I would leave a dancer and come back a magician ha-ha.

Another cool thing that we did with elder Joglar is we went to a Catholic church because they told us some stories about the church and we wanted to see so we went and everyone was looking at us like what there's mormons here?  It was so funny and other people would take pictures of us but it was awesome I have never felt so awkward in my life haha but at the same time it felt good. Those are my stories this week love you guys can't wait to talk on Christmas .

At the beautiful Catholic Church

On P-Day with investigators eating salpicon

Elder Carlos Gomez
 

God shows us our weakness to make us humble ... the Book of Mormon the center of our faith

Mom was having a hard week and elder Gomez wrote this trying to cheer me her up.

 

Hello family & friends,

Mom, I'm sorry to hear you are going through some changes but everything happens for a reason. I have learned that over my short 21 years of life. There is a scripture that I love a lot in 1 Corinthians 10: 13 and it talks about how God will never allow anything to happen to us with out giving us a way to over come it. I have seen that in my life so much and I'm sure you have too. You just have to trust in him and he will help you overcome it. Another scripture that I have always loved and that I think we all already know is Ether 12: 27-28,  "And if men come unto me I will show unto them their weakness. I give unto men weakness that they may be humble; and my grace is sufficient for all men that humble themselves before me; for if they humble themselves before me, and have faith in me, then will I make weak things become strong unto them.

 Behold, I will show unto the Gentiles their weakness, and I will show unto them that faith, hope and charity bringeth unto me—the fountain of all righteousness." 

Have faith in God just like it says in James 1: 5 "If any of you lack wisdom, let him ask of God, that giveth to all men liberally, and upbraideth not; and it shall be given him." God gives us trials so we can learn about faith and trust in him. He will answer your prayers and will help you I know this with all my heart because I have seen it not just in my life but in many peoples lives. So be of good cheer, I know the Lord has something great prepared for you and not just you but for all of us in our family. You must ask him. I love you a lot okay never forget that and you're always in my prayers :) 

 I'm getting a new companion but I don't know who he is yet he comes tomorrow all I know is that he's from Peru, his name is elder Garcia. I'm going to be training him how to be zone leader, He lived in Utah he was going to BYU so he knows English, that will be cool to be able to speak English with him ha-ha.

 This week we had the baptism of Emma which was awesome and we also put a baptism date to two more people. The work is progressing in Tulua. I want to share a pretty awesome but interesting story, Emma the one that got baptized called us the night before and said that she was not sure about getting baptized because a neighbor talked to her and got her all confused and did not want to do it. I calmed her down through the phone and told her to pray and she said alright and the next day she felt better and did it and my companion and I wanted to talk to this person so we did it and he started to try to cut or heads with scriptures and stuff and I was right back at him with scriptures it was like a war but awesome because I would always end up on top but we were not getting any where honestly just arguing and my companion started talking about the book of Mormon and it changed the whole feeling of the lesson. Like the contention was not there anymore and we even told him well my companion haha was like if you know that this is true will you get baptized? and we both learned a lesson there. He told me afterwards when you were fighting with him I was thinking of preach my gospel where it says if people want to contend talk about the book of mormon because nobody can deny it and he say so I tried it and it worked. It was funny because he said too bad I learned that the end of my mission haha but it was a cool experience for me. I learned that even though I can show all the scriptures in the bible that show that our church is true or to show that other churches are false it's in vain if I don't talk about the center of our faith which is the book of Mormon. It was a testimony gainer for sure and those were the highlights of the week.

P-Day in Tulua

Emma's Baptism

 

Elder Gomez

I love you and hope you feel better now :)    

The week of first's ... great experiences.

Hello,

This week was pretty awesome too! I had my first consejo for the leaders (leadership council) and it was cool I learned a lot. I also had my first zone meeting as zone leader got to teach all the missionaries and it was a lot of fun. I also had a baptism which will probably be the most interesting baptism I'll have my whole mission ha-ha and got to do house inspections which was way fun.

Tulua Zone

I will first start with the baptism of Cecilia, the sweet older lady which I told you about last week. Well, she decided that she did not want her husband to baptize her so she chose me. When we got to the baptism she says she can't go in the cold water because she has heart problems and her heart could stop. Over here it's so hot there's no heater in the water and the water is honestly freezing. We were heating up pots of water in the kitchen  but that would do nothing to the cool water ha-ha. So we get to the font and she's like, "no way that water is freezing I won't get baptized", and everyone was like you can do it! you can do it! and she was like no ha-ha. So I took her hand and little by little we started going down and we got to the middle like an hour later ha-ha and I said the prayer and then I tried to immerse her but she did not let me and was screaming saying forget it I'm not going to get baptized its to cold ha-ha. I tried to calm her and said lets go little by little, so I got her down to her knees. The only part that was left was her head and then my companion said, "do you want me to go in the water with you too? Would you feel more comfortable and she was like yes get down here ha-ha. So my compaion in his sunday clothes with socks and shirt and tie came into the font and I said the prayer again and between the two of us we baptized her. It was awesome!

Cecilia's baptism she's the sweetest lady!

Cecilia, her husband and elder Joglar and Gomez

 Later in the week we had a really spiritual moment with an investigator named Emma whom when I got here my companion said that she was not progressing so we were going to let her go. We were not going to teach her anymore and because I'm new to the area I wanted to visit her one more time. This week we had the first lesson with her and after the lesson I told her, "we are going to get on our knees and you are going to ask God if you need to get baptized and she said fine. Before every time she was asked she was saying no, no I'll never get baptized ha-ha. So when we prayed she did it, she asked God and after the prayer we had a moment of silence and she lifted her head up and said, "now I know I'm going to get baptized, God told me." My companion looked at me and was like wow what just happened and I was like I don't know but it was awesome ha-ha. We now have another baptism this Saturday. That was a pretty amazing experience.

 Colombia is popping in this time of year. It's awesome all the lights and candles and everything. I thought it was only the States that do lights but i think Colombia wins ha-ha. 

Street in Colombia all lit up for candle light day.

 

Tulua lighted up for Christmas. Lights are everywhere!

 

Yeah that was my week :) and it seems like everything is going well over there thanks for those notes you wrote down it was way cool and enjoy this Christmas with the family. I love you guys.

Familia Castaño, we eat at their house every day. They're a really cool family.

Hard work pays off, and surprise visit from President Pricoli!

Hola querida familia y amigos,

Well Tulua is cool it's really hot holy cow, but I actually like it. In Pasto all my skin was peeling and I would get some wick pimples ha-ha but since I have been here all the acne I had is now gone my face is like a babies butt ha-ha and now I don't peel so I like it! 

 I'm getting to know the area more now thank goodness  and yeah my comp leaves in 2 weeks. It's so funny when we talk to the people they always say, "hey you seem like you are from Argentina to me and then to my comp they say and you're gringo ha-ha. It happens at least twice everyday and we are like actually it's the other way around and nobody believes that I'm gringo. They're like no you're not don't lie and I have to speak English so they can believe me ha-ha but that's always really funny. My comp is really cool.

 

This week president Pricoli (our mission president) paid us a surprise visit he wanted to do visits with us. How scary I know ha-ha.  He called and said, I'm in Tulua and I want to do visits with you and we met up and started visiting ha-ha. It was awesome and while we were with him I contacted two ladies that were on the street and we set a visit with them and told them to invite all their friends. Then the night ended and the president said that he will leave Tulua happy because we are doing everything we are supposed to do and we are doing it good. So that made us feel really good :) but back to the ladies we contacted the following day we went to the noche de hogar (FHE) and she invited all of Tulua I think ha-ha. There was a TV set up in the garage and there were chairs starting from the garage all the way to the other side of the house. The whole street was filled with chairs and people it was crazy. I felt like a preacher ha-ha. We took all their information and we are going to visit them all this week! It was awesome from one person I contacted we found like 20 to visit and teach. It's awesome how the mission work works.

We have also been teaching this old lady she's so cute and her husband was just baptized and he's so cute as well. He tells her baby I want you to get baptized so we can get sealed in the temple. It's awesome but she's hard, she can't leave her traditions but we have been working hard with her and she's going to get baptized this Saturday and I honestly love her. She wants me to baptize her but we are trying to get her to change her mind so that her husband can baptize her because that would be so cute. So yeah those were the high lights for this week. I love you guys, juiciosos familia ,

 

Elder Gomez

President Pricoli & wife with new missionaries and their trainers. Alex is right above President Pricoli.

 

 

New Companion!

Hello,

Well I'm alot better now after being sick last week and I'm back at working hard like always. Mom, I have not heard about that new virus that's going around here but yeah the mosquitos are a pain. In Pasto there was nothing because it's cold so i would never get bitten now in Tulua because its hot they're every where and they're eating me alive haha but its all good just gonna have to get used to it again. 

 Last week in Pasto was sad I really did not want to leave para nada and the people were really sad too I think more sad then when I left from Cali.  My new area is dead, there's nothing here as in investigators. We have nothing, it's like starting from new which is bad because that means we won't have any baptisms soon. We got to find them but it's cool at the same time because its cool to know that I found the people and then they get baptized even if I don't get to see it. It also means I have to work harder to find new people haha but whatever I'm excited to work.

In the zone there are 18 missonaries and I'm not gonna lie it's very different being a zone leader I'm still trying to get the swing of things. My companion is elder Joglar from Argentina, he finishes his mission in 3 weeks and I'm kind of scared because I don't know the area para nada and he leaves so soon. I'm going to have to learn everything fast like how to be a leader and get to know the area because in a couple of weeks I'm on my own. Elder Joglar is way cool, actually he was one of my first zone leaders when I got to the mission so its cool to be with him now like zone leader. 

We had a special training on Monday it was awesome, the church is doing a lot this Christmas to promote the true meaning of it. There's a video called "He is the gift" that the church made to share with all the world and we have to contact por lo menos (at least) 10 personas cada dia (people every day) and show them this video and it's world wide all the missionaries are gonna do it. All the members also osea ustedes tambien (meaning you guys as well) and its starts the 28 of November so I'm way excited to do that and to work and everything. 

 Well I love you guys a lot keep up the hard work, favorite scripture of the week is Mateo 10: 28 es tenas. I love it!

 I love you guys so much and we will talk next week :)

Elder Gomez

This is my new companion elder Joglar from Argentina. He's training me as a zone leader.

 

Week 30: Transfers, new responsibility and dealing with illness

Hey family so yeah I'm leaving Pasto :( it's really sad but change is always good. I'm going to Tulua from the cold to the hot. I heard it's like an oven over there. I also have new responsibility as a zone leader. Now I'm going to be in charge of more missionaries and I'm going to have a lot more responsibility. I will have to travel a lot. I still don't know how I feel about all this ha-ha. I'm a little overwhelmed and I don't feel like I'm ready as a missionary to be a zone leader. I feel I still have a lot to learn but if that's what the Lord wants of me its for a reason so I'm just going to trust in him and not let my mind tear me down. I will just try to be the best I can be. 

We had a baptism this week I sent you the picture. I'm happy we got to do the baptism before I leave and the good thing is that I left a lot of baptisms for my companion which is another reason I wanted to stay but it's all good I'm just happy if they get baptized. :). So yeah that's the news for this week sorry so short its just that I still have to say bye to a lot of people because I leave tomorrow morning. and there's a bunch of people I have to stop by hope you guys understand and next week I will write everything. 

 

I love you guys 

Elder Gomez

 

Awesome Missionary skit!

PS. oh also we did a show of talentos (talent show) and it was awesome. We did the first 3 chapters of the book of mormon like when they left  their house to go to the promise land but in modern version ha-ha. It was super funny, I was Laman and my companion was Nephi it was awesome. I got sick for like 2 days with a fever of 103. It was crazy they had to IV me and fill me with fluids and that made me better. Today is the first day I feel good only that my arms hurt from the IV. They are all sore haha but I'm good now ready to work :)

My wonderful district in Pasto. I will miss them.

Cooking who knows what?

Helping people come unto Christ.

View from my apartment. There's always a rainbow here in Pasto

Hi,
Mom it's good that you know what our purpose here is and the whole point of being here on this earth is to live with a hope of something and that hope for you and for me is that our family can be together always and it is why we live and strive everyday to be faithful in this gospel. So keep your head up and work everyday to be the best you can be and to actually live the gospel. :)

You asked me how we are able to find people and bring them into the gospel. Well, the best way to find souls is through the members. When the members provide us with a contact those are the people that stay active. Another great way is by being an example in everything we do. You have no idea how many people we have found from people just noticing that we are different. They say things like, "you guys are different from other young men in this world or from other churches", the people are able to see a difference in us. We have to actually live the gospel not just go through the motions. When we do that we, as children of God, are happier people and we help the lost sheep come unto Christ through our example. People are able to see the difference when we are full of the light of Christ. I would never be able to have a convert that actually stays in the church and makes it to the temple if I don't live the gospel. Not only do we receive blessings but others will also. There's no greater joy than helping others. Something else that has helped us a lot is that in every moment with every person we talk about the gospel. I go to the store to buy something and I'm talking with the cashier about the gospel, in the bus I'm talking with the person next to me. Every chance I get to talk I do it. Sometimes I just bare my testimony and one day that person will say I want what that young kid shared with me and find the missionaries. Something I have learned is that we have to plant the seed, talk with everyone and who knows 20 years from now those people will remember that and get baptized.



Our investigators are good. Sometimes I get frustrated because we have a family  that we have been teaching for quite some time and they have been ready for baptism but they haven't been able to get baptized because of little trivial things ugh! Another man that we found tracking is such a gem, we gave him a BOM and he started crying and said that he knew the book was of God and that he was very happy  and he wants to be baptized.  It was very spiritual but like always there's a little "but" , he's leaving Pasto this week to go to work somewhere else and won't be back here. That really hurt    :( and we have another two people too that are ready to be baptized Natalia & Lorena and they also know that this is true but the mom can not go to church because she works and in order to be able to be to baptized they need to go to church. They're really sad because they can't get baptized and we are sad too because we want to baptize them :(. We also have another girl who was a part of a church here where the pastor would convince the girls to engage in illicit activities with him or they would not go to heaven so now she does not have any trust in churches. We are working a lot with her and its coming along. She's receiving responses to her prayers regarding the truthfulness of the gospel so that's awesome. We have another family  and they are good they have had their response that this is true and have seen the change in their family but still won't convert. They are a little stubborn and get too influenced by their family. That makes me sad but gives me the desire to keep working with them. I know the Lord will continue to help us to find the spirits that are ready and those are our main investigators.
Talk to you next week.
Love,
Elder Gomez

It's float (carroza) time in Pasto and people are starting to get ready we saw this one in front of a house.

 

APs, nature and great investigator!

Well mom your wish became a reality I finally met with the assistants to the president elder Walker and Lyle. I talked with them this week and told them that you follow their blogs ha-ha and they were like no way let's take a picture and do a shout out this week to your mom. So in their blogs there should be a pic of me and a shout out to you ha-ha. They are way awesome, we laughed a whole bunch and they are really good missionaries, I learned a lot from them in the training. It was great :).


Elder Walker (AP) with Elder Gomez

Thanks for the Halloween pictures they are awesome and how scary you and Karo look. This p-day we went hiking again, you know much I love wildlife ha-ha. It was way fun and really beautiful it just feels good to be in the nature and that's why I like Pasto so much because there's a lot of wildlife and a whole bunch of mountain biking. I always see the people in their bikes heading to trails and it makes me way sad ha-ha because I miss it but I love being a missionary.
This week we found a new investigator that's way good, his name is Jhon. He's reading the book of Mormon and went to church on Sunday. We were way excited about that because last week was not good but this week we found that person that was ready for us so we are way excited about that. :).

Well, I love you guys so much and I want pictures of Dad and Steph too please. Wow, fall is awesome and how pretty it is where we live. Sometimes we don't realize it until we are away, we should all be grateful. I love you guys, talk to you next week.

Hard working end of day!

The start of our hike

Beautiful Pasto

Me being a monkey ha-ha

Me and my companion!

  

I fell in love with Pasto!

Hello,

I will start by answering some of your questions:
You asked me if I have had the interview with the 2 APs (assistant to the president) and I haven't yet we are going to have them tomorrow hopefully. I can't tell you how they are but I'm sure looking forward to the meeting then I can tell them that you are their fan ha-ha.

You asked about president Pricoli and what I like about him? He's great and a very spiritual person and that's really cool because that will help us as a mission.

You asked how our area is doing? Our area is going good kind of we need to find new investigators because we don't have anyone to baptize right now other then that family so we are on the hunt and that's kind of hard but we are working hard to make it happen.

There's cambios (transfers) in 3 weeks and I think I'm going to be changed because they always change the trainer. I know its 3 weeks away but it makes me sad because I fell in love with Pasto. I like it more than Cali. Its just so pretty and peaceful over here and the people are just awesome they are way more centered than the rest of Colombia. It's like a different country ha-ha but its cool.

This week has been a little hard because we had a family that was ready to get baptized and it fell through because one of the family member got sick and when she got better then her mom had to have surgery and they had to travel to Bogota for two weeks so we are still waiting to baptize them. I'm a little down because I think in 3 weeks I might get transferred and I won't be able to see them get baptized.

I want  to share a scripture that I like a lot that has helped me on my mission in D&C 75:29 "Let every man be diligent in all things. And the idler shall not have place in the church, except he repent and mend his ways." I have such a strong testimony now of this. When we are lazy we are never going to accomplish anything and through the lord everything is possible. Sometimes I have days where I wake up and say shoot I don't have baptisms, I don't have investigators and I just want to give up and not work because it seems too hard to find people and even more people who are ready to receive us. All my life I have lived that way if it's too hard I just don't do it. Here on the mission it has helped me a lot because I trust in the lord and I know that his ways are not the ways of giving up or being lazy so when I feel like giving up I remember that scripture and pray for help and the lord does help me. Another cool scripture is in D&C 68: 25, 28, 30 "25 And again, inasmuch as parents have children in Zion, or in any of her stakes which are organized, that teach them not to understand the doctrine of repentance, faith in Christ the Son of the living God, and of baptism and the gift of the Holy Ghost by the laying on of the hands, when eight years old, the sin be upon the heads of the parents.", "28 And they shall also teach their children to pray, and to walk uprightly before the Lord.", "30 And the inhabitants of Zion also shall remember their labors, inasmuch as they are appointed to labor, in all faithfulness; for the idler shall be had in remembrance before the Lord."
This scripture is for the whole family. Till next week, love you guys.
Elder Gomez

Zone conference, cool district proselyting activity and the most amazing bishop!

Pasto Zone Conference - Estos son todos los misioneros de la Zona de Pasto
Elder Grow came and taught us.

Sunday afternoon handing out Book of Mormon's as a district at the town's plaza.

My district was a little down because everyone was having trouble finding new investigators so we came up with the idea to go to a park on a Sunday where all the families go walking on Sundays. We set up a station in the park and as a district we went and started contacting. It was so awesome I have never contacted before and it was way cool. We got a whole bunch of references. What an awesome district we are ha-ha.

On Monday we went and cooked at one of the ward's sister's house. She is a chef and was teaching us how to cook. She prepared some amazing food from Peru. I almost burned my dish ha-ha. It was a lot of fun.

My amazing district after we cooked we had to enjoy the wonderful Peruvian food. Yummy!

Gerley got baptized this week. I love this man specially the 360 change he has made in his life because of Christ's love for him.

Celebrating my ward's bishop birthday with other families from the ward. He's awesome! He is the best bishop ever really organized but at the same time funny and cares for the people. Everyone in the ward loves him. I think he will be the best bishop I will have in the mission, that's what everyone says anyways ha-ha.

I hope you guys went to see the "Meet the Mormons" movie, I want to see it so bad you will just have to tell me about it. you asked if I am enjoying being a district leader, yeah being a leader is way cool I like it a lot. It's cool to be able to help the other missionaries and my district. I love them and Pasto is very pretty. I'm learning how to play the zampoña. I bought one and a dvd to learn how to play. Pasto is really pretty I don't want to leave hopefully I can stay another cambio we will just have to wait and see. The people are a little cold at first but once you get to know them they're awesome and the members are great they help a lot in the Lords work.
Love you,
Elder Gomez
 

Conference, sickness and blessings!

Hello my awesome family and friends,

It makes me happy to hear that you're applying my suggestions in the family. I cannot express the blessing that the family will see not only in short time but in the long run as well. In the future Karo will grow to be a wonderful mother and daughter of god and we will all be more united.

I go sick this week, I was throwing up and had stomach problems. It was horrible but the good thing is that it only lasted one day. Which I'm glad because it was so boring staying in the house all day, it’s the worst ha-ha. Conference was awesome, I really enjoyed it. This conference has meant a lot to me because I understand a lot more the doctrine and the gospel of Christ. I could relate with what the apostles were saying and it was way awesome. I loved it and wow it helped me a lot. I want you guys to study the talk from Tad Callister from the Saturday afternoon and see how you can apply that in the home. It’s so true what he said and will make a difference in everything in the home if you guys apply it . I liked all of the talks ha-ha, like the one from Christianson on Saturday morning and the one from Elder Jörg Klebingat that spoke of spiritual confidence and that we need to work out always ha-ha loved that part. I also like the one from   President Dieter F. Uchtdorf during the Priesthood session, “Lord, Is It I?”. They were all really spectacular it was such a spiritual feast. I hope we will read the talks again over the next few weeks so we can ponder upon the words of our prophets and put them to practice in our lives. we will be truly blessed if we do that.

 

This P-day part of my district and our investigator Gerley who gets baptized this week and is way awesome, went visit some beautiful areas in Pasto. We had a great time admiring God's creations. Gerley is one of my best converts, the change he has made in his life is absolutely incredible and it’s been awesome to see it. It is the coolest thing ever.

 Keep working hard on creating our Zion in the home and I promise the blessings will come. I love you guys so much! Till next time.

Elder Gomez

 

Pictures of amazing P-Day in Pasto

Pasto is a very beautiful place!

 

 

My companion, myself and the sisters from my district.

A lonely wondering llama!

Fun day!

Beautiful cascade in the background.

Making funny faces for the camera the elders and sisters.

With an investigator. He is really a wonderful person!

I'm glad that I live in this beautiful world. Colombia is such a beautiful place on earth.

Amazing week!

Hola Familia!

Well my week was really good we had a lot of success during this week. We have like 7 people who have a baptismal date and my companion really wants to win Capitan Moroni so we are working hard to win it. That award is given when you have 10 baptisms in 3 months and I want to win my second one, so here we go ha-ha. We had a very special moment with a less  active  that we are teaching to come back to church. She was going through some problems and was really sad. She started crying and telling us all her problems and then we gave her a blessing so that she could feel bettter and afterwards she was so happy with us. She told us how grateful she was for us and she needed us in that moment. It was so special because we felt that we helped this person get through her problems and our work not only is to find people to baptize but to help everyone, members, less actives and the world ha-ha. That was super awesome for us. We also found this family were the wife had a real bad accident and is just now being able to walk after 4 months. She was really sad and she felt the same way. She said we came in to her life at the perfect timing because she is sad and lonely and we make her feel better. It's awesome to think how the Lord puts people in our path when they most need the gospel it's awesome. 

Family this week is conference :) I'm super excited and I hope you guys are too. This is something you guys should be thinking about all week and planing for. You need to have a prayer in your hearts all week to receive personal revelation. I know the Lord will answer through the prophets. I know it but only if you guys have that prayer in your hearts. Those questions that you need answered to be more christ like ahhh how exciting!!!!!! I hope you enjoy the word of God through the prophets and I hope you guys can learn a lot through that :) I love you, talk to you guys next week :) 

 

Elder Gomez

 

Becoming Saints by doing the small and simple things!

Hola Familia,

 

This week we went to Popayan to have a conference with elder Grow and it was awesome, like way awesome. It opened my eyes to a lot of things and that's what I would like to talk about today. He talked to us about the family and it was amazing. He talked about what things we should do in our families to be Saints and he asked for a list. We all started saying things that we should do right, so after like 20 things he said, "great this list is awesome" and he asked us how many of us in our familes actually lived all those things? Everyone stayed quiet no one raised their hand. He said that's his concern that we teach but don't apply and the reason why our kids will be inactive or the reason why many kids become inactive because in reality they are not living the gosple of Jesus Christ so they leave. Wow! that impacted me a lot. We should not only act when we have to but always. We are not in the religon for the church but because it's the church of Jesus Christ and it's how we can be saved which means we should live it always in every moment. So the home work as a family is to make a list on how we can be Saints as a family. I will help out a little, read 15 mins every morning. Wake up early or something and do it as a family but everyday please. It is so important don't let me down!!! Pay tithing, go to the temple even if its just taking a walk outside of it and sharing a message. There are some little things you guys can do, but make a list add on to that and complete it and let me know how it goes next week.
I love you guys and thanks for the pictures they're awesome.

Elder Gomez

Pictures!

Elder Ruiz, Elder Gomez, Hermanas Jachacollo y Maldonado de mi distrito en Pasto

Cool pants from Bolivia!

The Power of the Priesthood - September 15th

Familia y Amigos,

 

This week was awesome, first off my companion and I pretty much did an exorcism. This guy felt a bad spirit following him so we gave him a blessing and it was an intense moment. My poor companion was shaking ha-ha! I gave the blessing and after that till this day he has not felt that presence. It's amazing to see the power of the priesthood at work. This experience was like a super testimony builder for me. We have this family that we have been teaching and they have a baptism date for the 27 of this month. We talked about the priesthood and how we are the only ones who have the authority on this earth and they were confused. They said that all churches are good so we told them to pray and ask god. They knelt down and did ask if what we said was true and after they prayed they said that they felt something really strange. We testified that it was the holy ghost testifying to them of the truth and they were amazed. Now they know that this is the true church and are supèr happy to get baptized. So yeah that was awesome!

 Today we went to the gym for our p-day and it was awesome. 5 months with out the gym and to lift weights again was so good. I loved it, I felt alive again. The great thing is that I have not lost any strength. I'm still just as strong. After the gym we then cleaned the house because when we arrived it was left dirty and totally disgustiing but now its like a temple and we can finally feel the spirit ha-ha. 

 Well yeah that was our week and the highlights of everything. Family are the family home evenings going? Remember to always do them and maybe you guys can read alma 37 and then tell me what you guys learned. I love you and have a good week.

 

Till next week,

Elder Gomez

Funny stories, super spiritual baptism and eternal Families!

Thanks for the sweater I love it and I love you! Best mom in the world :)

I hand knitted this vest for elder Gomez before he went on his mission.

 Querida Familia,

To answer some of your questions, I am serving in Bachue, Pasto and my district consists of Sister Manllea from Bolivia, Sister Panduro (funny name I know ha-ha) from Peru, Sister Jachcollo from Bolivia, Sister Maldonado from Honduras, Elder Pancheti from USA  y elder Longogrio de Mexico and last but not least my companion from Peru, elder Ruiz. I have the same schedule only that during the night I have to call all the missionaries to see how they're doing and see how I can help them. The only part I don't like about it is that before I would write in my journal but now from 9:30 to 10:30 I'm on the phone talking to my district but it is alright. Pasto has a volcano, in one of the pictures I sent last week the volcano was behind me. It was a selfie I took ha-ha. 

 

Some funny things about the people of Pasto, they like to play volleyball and they play everyday at a park near where we live. The funny thing is that it is the worst volleyball I have ever seen in my life. I seriously started cracking up I could not help it. What they do is to set the ball they grab it for a good 5 seconds place it in there hands and look at it then throw it in the air again to set it. It's so funny and ugly I was cracking up. What else, a dog almost bit my companion. He's scared of everything. I was walking really fast because we were late for an appointment and I took a corner and there was a big mean dog ready to eat our heads off! I stayed calm and just stopped and was going to let the dog calm down because we scared him, but my companion freaked out and screamed like a girl. He then took of running and the dog behind chasing him for like a football field. Everyone was staring at him and laughing I felt bad but it was really funny. The other thing that happened was that we were walking and it was night time and we were in the area of the sisters helping them out with something. We were heading back home and my companion saw 3 men and freaked out because it was just us and the three men in the street. He took of running where we came from thinking they were going to rob us, come on. I was so embarrassed I apologized to the men and took of running after him because he left me alone. He was freaked out saying, "No I won't walk home it's too peligroso (dangerous)". The funny part is we were in the area of the sisters which is the safest area and we are in Pasto were it's nothing compared to Cali so I had to force him to walk home. He's like an innocent baby but it's funny ha-ha.

 

Something awesome happened this week. When we first got here there was a family who has been trying to get married for like  a year now with a whole bunch of missionaries but have not been able to because of some thing with their papers. This week everything went through but the wedding day was set for this Thursday but the son wanted to baptize him. The son is going to serve a mission and is leaving today (Monday) and they could not get baptized because they were not married before he left. They were all sad, but I worked my magic (ha-ha) I talked with the president to see if we could do something. I asked if the dad could get baptized last Saturday before his son left so he could baptize him. The dad would have to live somewhere else until they got married and he approved that recommendation. They were so thankful for what we did but the best part was the baptism.

Son baptized his father and then left on Monday to serve a mission. Miracles still happen!

It was super spiritual everyone was crying the dad, the mom, the son, and the sisters. It was so awesome to see how a family was being united. I was sitting there watching and just imagining them in the temple being eternal and I could not stop crying.

Amazing family with eternal potential!

Then I thought in us and how blessed we are to be together to be sealed in the temple. Wow! It was amazing and the testimonies that the family gave were so powerful. I loved it! It was the best baptism I have ever been to.  Family, please work to be worthy to always go to the temple so we can be united as a family in God. I love you guys have a good week. I like the pictures please keep sending them.

Till next week.
Elder Gomez

Elder Gomez tried cuy, for the first time! 

 

He said it was super yummy!